


Dove and Grenade: Story of the Keymaster

by HillianLink



Category: Kingdom Hearts, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-26
Updated: 2015-06-20
Packaged: 2018-02-22 18:52:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2518166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HillianLink/pseuds/HillianLink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Having a horrid life with a drunken excuse for a father, who constantly abuses you can be difficult, as Hayden knows. But, when he finally decides to end it all, some force intervenes, sending him on a quest, showing his true potential and worth as an Umbreon. Will he be able to live through it, or will he succumb to the blackness that resides in his heart?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. This is the Only Way

**This is the Only Way**

I stepped out of the school building, my hood up against the rain. As the black cloth of my jacket's hood compressed my ringed ears against my furry head, I went over to the large tree near me, as the other students passed by.

"Fuck off, you emo freak." A Tyranitar said.

As the green dinosaur pushed me out of the way, I stumbled and almost fell to the ground. I was able to catch myself, though, just in time to be knocked into the mud by the Tyranitar's friend, an Arcanine. As I landed on the ground, the two walked away, laughing. I was about to get up, when someone else passed, stopping for a moment to kick mud in my face. As more people began laughing, I just sighed, dropping my head back onto the ground.  _Yep, just another day as the school's punching bag. Fucking great._ I just closed my eyes and continued lying on the ground, letting the rain slowly patter onto my face.

I was jarred from my thoughts by a female voice saying, "Want some help up?"

I opened my eyes to see a Vaporeon standing over me, her hand extended to me.

I sighed, before greeting my only friend, "Hey, Skylar."

"Hey, Hayden." She said. "So, do you want to get up?"

"Not really." I replied. "I think I'll just chill here."

"Okay then." She said, before sitting down next to me, cross legged.

"Don't you have basketball practice today?" I asked.

"Not until three thirty." She replied. "So, I might as well just sit here with you until then."

"Thanks." I said, grateful for the action.

"Don't mention it." She said. "I mean, it's not like I don't enjoy hanging out with you."

I sighed again, before saying, "Yeah, well that puts you in the minority. The extreme minority."

Skylar picked my head up and sat it in her lap, before saying, "Stop saying that. You know that I don't like to hear it."

"Yes, and you know that it's true," I said, "which is why I say it."

She let out a sigh, before knocking my hood off of my head. She began slowly stroking the top of my head and playing with my ears, something that she liked to do when I was feeling low. Which meant that she does it a lot. But, really, it's not like I try to be like this, it's just caused by my everyday life.

"Well, you really should stop it." She said.

"That's slightly hard to do when I'm reminded of it every day, multiple times a day." I replied.

"Don't pay attention to those assholes." Skylar said. "It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of you, only what you think of you."

"Well, to be honest, I agree with them." I said. "I'm a scrawny, ugly, emo fuck, who will never amount to anything."

"Don't say that." She said, sounding fairly indignant, as she lightly bopped me on the nose. She bent her head down slightly to look at me, and said, "Do you want to know what I see when I look at you? I see a handsome Umbreon, who isn't scared to share how he truly feels. I see an Umbreon that will end up having a wonderful and happy life, one much better than those of any of the assholes who picked on him in school will ever have."

"I wish that I had your optimism." I responded.

Skylar let out a sigh, before pulling her phone from her pocket. She pressed the power button, before returning it to her pocket.

"Listen," she said, "it's almost time for practice, so I need to go." She took her backpack off of her shoulder and sat it on the ground next to her, before unzipping, saying, "But, first, I have something for you."

Curious as to why she would have something for me, I sat up, allowing her to move more freely. She dug around in her bag, before pulling out a rectangular package, wrapped in black wrapping paper, topped with a yellow bow.

"Happy birthday." She said, handing it to me.

 _Oh, right. That._ I had honestly pretty much forgot about my birthday being today, just like I do every year, due to the fact that the only person that actually acknowledges it is Skylar.

"Thanks." I said, accepting the parcel.

"Well, open it." She said, a smile on her face.

I complied, pulling the bow off of the package before neatly removing the paper. When the paper was entirely gone, it revealed three books, bound together with a yellow ribbon tied around them neatly. Looking at the cover of the top book, I saw that it was mostly blue, with a guy with spiked brown hear in the center. The kid appeared to be floating down, his eyes closed and his white and blue jacket floating up, revealing more of his red undershirt.

"Well, do you like it?" Skylar asked me.

"It's wonderful." I said. "But, not to be rude, what exactly is it?"

Skylar laughed lightly, before replying, "It's this manga that I just started reading recently. It's apparently based off of a video game, and it's really fucking awesome."

I looked up from the books, a few small tears of happiness forming in my eyes, allowing a small smile to cross my lips. I leaned over and wrapped my arms around the Vaporeon, bringing her into a hug. She tensed up slightly at the action, most likely because any action that has resembles happiness was an odd occurrence from me, but she warmed up almost immediately, sinking into the hug and returning it.

"Thank you." I said, my head next to her ear.

"You're welcome." She said, and I could feel her nuzzle her head against mine lightly.

After a few seconds, I released her. As I leaned back, I wiped the few tears from my eyes. Looking at Skylar, I saw that the normal smile that was on her face had been replaced with one that seemed to cover most of her face.

"Well, I guess I should get going." She said, standing up and grabbing her bag. "See you tomorrow, Hayden. Hope you have a good birthday."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." I replied, as she started walking away. "Thanks for the gift."

"You're welcome." She replied, over her shoulder, before disappearing down the sidewalk.

I let out a small sigh of happiness. I brought my backpack off of my shoulder and sat it in front of me. I unzipped it and carefully placed the bundle of books into the bag, before zipping it back up. I threw my bag back on my shoulder, before standing up and starting home. As I went through the large city, passing office buildings and skyscrapers, I flipped my hood up again.  _Arceus, Skylar's awesome. I really don't deserve a friend like her. She's always so caring and attentive, and she always finds some way to cheer me up._ I finally reached my apartment building, and by now I was soaked, as the steady rainfall had become a downpour. I glanced over at the elevator to see that it was labeled as broken. I sighed, before heading to the stairs. I started up them, headed for the thirtieth floor of the forty story building. I eventually reached my floor, panting lightly. I went to the correct apartment and pulled out my key, before unlocking the door. I entered the room, closing the door behind me.

"Hey, kid!" My father's slurred voice came from the living room/kitchen portion of the apartment, signaling that he was, in fact, already drunk.

Granted, he was probably drunk all day today. Yep, that's good ol' daddy.

"Kid, is that you?" He yelled out to me.

I sighed quietly, before responding, "Yes."

I entered the living room to see that the disgusting Faraligtr was laying in his recliner, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, completely exposing his large beer gut. I looked at the floor and saw the usual sea of empty beer cans.

"That's 'yes, sir', you ungrateful little fucker." He slurred out. "Now, go and get me another damn beer."

"Yes, sir." I replied, before going into the kitchen.

I opened up the fridge and grabbed a beer from one of the multiple six packs in there, before closing the door. I brought him the beer and handed it to him. He cracked it open and took a drink of it.

He suddenly threw it at me, covering me with beer, while he yelled, "It's warm, you little cunt. Get me another one, this time one that's cold."

I sighed, my ears and clothes dripping alcohol, and went back into the kitchen. I opened the fridge again and pulled out another beer, before making sure that it was cold. I was about to close the fridge, when I turned back to the cans in the fridge.  _I doubt that he'll notice if one's missing. He never does._ I then took another beer from the fridge, before slipping it into my jacket pocket. I went back to the living room and handed my father the beer. He cracked it open and took a drink of it.

"Good." He said, pulling the can away from his lips. He suddenly lashed out at me, his fist connecting with my right eye, as he said, "Now, don't let me ever catch you getting me a warm beer ever again. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir." I answered, holding my eye in my hand. "May I go now?"

The Feraligatr grumbled something out, before waving his hand and saying, "Get the hell out of my sight, you little fuck."

I nodded, and left the room. I went through the kitchen and into the hall. I passed the door to his bedroom, along with the one to the bathroom, before going into my room. My room was honestly fairly shitty, containing nothing more than my bed and a small bookshelf, with the only things on the wall being a window and the door to my closet. I took the beer out of my pocket and sat it on my bed, along with my backpack. I went over to my closet and opened it, before pulling out another set of clothing. It consisted of a pair of black jeans and a black t-shirt, which was pretty much all that was in my closet. I took the clothes and went into the bathroom to change. I locked the door behind me, before taking off my black combat boots and stripping down. I threw my dirty clothes, along with the jacket, into the hamper by the door, before quickly getting dressed. I was about to return to my room, when I glanced into the mirror. Due to my black fur, I couldn't quite see the bruise that was inevitably forming around my right eye, one that would just join the other ones coating my body, but there was a small amount of swelling occurring.

I sighed, before saying, "Fuck, that'll look like shit in the morning."

That is honestly one of the good parts about being an Umbreon. My black fur easily hid any bruises that I got, causing my injuries to go unnoticed. While this may not be good to other people, I preferred it this way, as it kept others from knowing about what my father did to me. The only other person who knows is Skylar, but she promised to keep it quiet. Granted, after she found out, though, she did continuously try to convince me to leave and move in with her, but after I had declined the offer at least one hundred times, she finally dropped it. It's not like I didn't want to, nor was it anything to do with her or her parents, as they were actually fairly nice to me; it's just that I didn't want to impose on her, and I could never ask her to do something of that caliber for me. I mean, I always felt guilty every time she did anything for me, especially when it involves money. I had offered to pay her back for things multiple times, but she always turned it down, saying that I work hard enough to get the money, and that I should keep it for myself.

I gasped in pain as I prodded the swelling, before saying, "Shit, that hurt."

Deciding that there was nothing I could do about it, I left the bathroom and returned to my bedroom. I sat down on my bed and picked up the beer. I began rolling it in between my hands, staring at it. I know that I honestly shouldn't be drinking, one of the reasons that I possess this knowledge being because it was pounded into my head constantly by Skylar, but we eventually came to the agreement that as long as I don't drink more than two a week, then she won't bring it up. It just really seemed to help me forget about my problems, and it's much better then what I used previously. I shuddered lightly as I looked down at the light scarring on my wrists, visible only due to the partings in my fur. Sighing, I cracked open the beer and took a drink of it. I removed the can from my lips, grimacing lightly at the horrid taste of cheap alcohol. My father only ever bought the cheap shit, as that's all that he could afford from his unemployment check. I took another drink from the can, trying to ignore the taste. Remembering what I had in my bag, I unzipped it and pulled out the books. I eagerly, but neatly, removed the ribbon and took the first book from the stack. I sat the beer down next to me on my bed, careful not to knock it over, and opened up the book. On the inside of the cover, I saw a message written in black sharpie. It read, 'For Hayden. I wanted to write you this message to tell you how much you mean to me. I probably already say it too much, but I love every second that we spend together, and I wanted you to know that. I hope that you enjoy this series; I know I did. –Skylar.' At the end, next to her name, I saw that she had drawn a small heart, stylized like the one on the cover of the book. As I saw this, a small smile crept across my lips. Wanting to let her know that I felt the same, I took my phone from my pocket. I pulled up her contact and sent her a message, containing only a text heart, before hitting send. As the message was sent, my attention returned to the book in my hands, and I started reading, taking periodic small sips from my beer. I ended up losing track of time, and the next thing that I knew, I had finished all three books, and it was almost nine in the afternoon. I sat the third book down and picked up the drink next to me, to find that it was still about half full. I stacked the books up in their proper order, before retying the ribbon around them. Seeing nothing better to do, I opened the window all the way, before climbing into it. I sat in the window, my back on the side of the sill, with one leg propped up in the sill, as well, while the other was dangling out of the window. I pulled my phone from my pocket and put some earbuds in, before beginning to listen to music. I sat there, just watching the moon, taking small sips from the drink in my hand. I eventually emptied the can, which I crushed in my hand, before throwing it down into the ally below. I pulled out my phone and checked the time, to see that it was about nine thirty.  _I should probably go ahead and make dinner._ I pulled my earbuds from my ears and left my room. I went into the kitchen, from which I could hear my father talking. I quickly glanced in the living room to see that he had a few of his friends over, and they were all drunk, as well. Rolling my eyes, I went over to the pantry. I opened it to find the food that I had bought recently, only to see that it wasn't there. Confused, I closed the pantry and began searching the cabinets, but came up with the same results.

"Hey, kid." I heard my father yell. I stuck my head out of the kitchen, as he asked, "You looking for all of your food?"

"Yes." I replied.

He began laughing, before saying, "Well, you won't find it, so you might as well stop looking. But, just so you know, it tasted fucking delicious."

With that, he let out aloud belch, causing his friends to burst out laughing. He pointed to a stack of plates on the table, all of them cleaned of whatever food was previously on them.

"But, that was mine." I complained. "I bought it with my fucking money."

"Yeah, well you live under my fucking roof, so if I want it, I get it." My father replied, once again causing his inebriated friends to laugh.

"Maybe you could buy your own damn food if you didn't waste all of you money on cheap beer and even cheaper hookers." I replied, my rage growing.

At this, the room grew silent. My father turned around to glare at me. He rose from his chair and lumbered over to me, until he stood in front of me. I returned his glare, staring down at him, as he was almost a foot shorter than me.

"What the hell did you just say, kid?" He growled at me.

"You fucking heard me." I said, not backing down. "Maybe if you weren't such a useless sack of shit, then you could by your own Arceus damned food. And, for the record, I don't live under your roof, I live under Ms. Johnson's floor, because, once again, you're a useless sack of shit."

He suddenly lashed out at me, his fist connecting with my nose. I recoiled upon impact, my hand covering my nose. As I heard the living room explode in laughter, I felt a warm and sticky substance begin to cover my hand. I pulled my hand away to confirm that my nose was currently gushing blood.

"Now, don't you ever speak to me like that again, you little fucker." My father said.

With that, he stormed back into the living room. I quickly rushed to the bathroom, crimson blood beginning to seep between my fingers. I turned on the sink and grabbed a washcloth, which I held under the cool water for a few seconds, before bringing it to my nose. As I held the damp cloth to my nose, I took this opportunity to shut the door and lock it. I sunk to the floor, both of my hands now clutching my nose.  _I can't fucking live like this. I just fucking can't._ I sat there for at least ten minutes, my hands to my face, and my mind wandering, browsing ideas as to how I could handle my situation. I finally came to a conclusion. I didn't like it, and I knew that I would harm someone very close to me, but it was all that I could do. I removed the cloth from my nose and, seeing that my nose was no longer gushing blood, I threw it into the hamper. I stood up and went over to the sink, and began washing the blood from my muzzle. As I finished up, I stared at myself in the mirror, water dripping from my face.

"Alright." I said, as tears started to form in my eyes and roll down my cheeks. "I'll do it. It's the only way."

* * *

I stepped out onto the roof of my apartment building, a light wind blowing around me, and rain pattering down. It was later that night, time for me to go through with my plan. My father was passed out in a drunken stupor, with his friends under the same spell, all of them still in the living room.  _Perfect conditions, really. Wonderful pathetic fallacy there, world._ I chuckled lightly, as I walked across the roof. I came to the edge of the building and looked down, causing my head to start to spin. I quickly looked up, not wanting to be sick. As I steeled myself for what was to come, I took a deep breath, already feeling tears begin to roll down my face.

"I'm sorry, Skylar." I said, softly. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do, but I have to. This is the only way. Just know that I'll miss you."

I took another deep breath, before looking around.  _Fuck it, no one's here._

I sighed, before saying, "Skylar, I know that you aren't even here, but just know that I love you. I love everything about you. I love your smile, I love your personality, and I love how you can always cheer me up whenever I'm sad." I took one final breath, before saying, "Goodbye."

With that, I stepped off of the building.


	2. It Tastes Like Dirt!

**It Tastes Like Dirt!**

Nothing. That was all that met my ears. I heard nothing, I felt nothing, and should I open my eyes, I can only imagine that I would see nothing. Granted, I'm dead, so it's not like that should startle me. I chuckled lightly, lines from Dante's  _Inferno_ running through my head. The descent into the blind world. As the thought came through my head, I continued enjoying the sensation of weightlessness that enveloped my body. Then, just like that, it stopped. I felt myself lightly hit something, as if I fell onto it.  _The fuck?_ Slowly, I opened my eyes. I was greeted by whiteness, and nothing but. Confused, I sat up, looking around. I appeared to be in a white room. The walls were white, the small table and twin chairs in the center of the room was white; even the child's bed that I was currently sitting on was white. There was no color. Save for me. I stood up, testing my legs, to find that they worked perfectly.  _Alright. Now to find out what the fuck is going on._ I started to walk around the room, pacing randomly. Eventually, I found a door, the same white as everything else, causing it to blend in with the walls. I reached for the knob, only to find that it was lacking one. Noting this, I let out an exasperated sigh, beginning to get annoyed.

"Seriously, what is going on?" I shouted out, not actually expecting any response.

Which caused me to jump slightly, upon hearing a small giggle behind me. I spun around, both shocked and embarrassed of my reaction, charging a Dark Pulse in each hand for defense. I held my charged hands forward, before noticing the source of the sound. On the bed sat a young girl, no older than nine or ten, with a small smile on her face. She was clad in a white night dress, ending just short of her knees, and her blonde hair fell just below her shoulders. Truthfully, she looked rather cute, in a little sister kind of way.

"Please sheathe your attacks, Hayden." The girl requested.

Shocked at her words, I only raised the Pulses higher, gritting my teeth and growling out, "How do you know my name?"

The girl got up, before heading for me, saying, "Please put your attacks away. Then we can discuss matters."

I quickly began running through the possibilities in my head.  _She couldn't possible pose a threat. She looks to be, like, nine years old, sixty pounds, and under five feet. I'm a sixteen year old, far too skinny Umbreon, that's about six and a half feet. If shit hits the metaphorical fan, I should be able to take her._ Deciding that it was for the best, I got rid of the Dark Pulses, my arms dropping to my sides. The girl came up to me, her head barely reaching my chest. She quickly wrapped her arms around me, shocking me. She chuckled, resting her head on my chest.

"Y'know, for such a fierce kitty cat, you sure are soft." She commented.

"What?" I replied, somewhat annoyed at her description of my species. "I'm not a mere cat, I'm an Umbreon. That means that I'm charged with enough power of amazingness to blow up a city block with just my hands and a few Dark Pulses, should I feel bored. And, besides, we're more vulpine than feline, really."

The girl chuckled, looking up at me with her blue eyes, like pools of water, before countering, "Still, that doesn't change the fact that you're extremely soft."

I sighed, deadpanning. The girl noticed this, chuckling, before standing on her toes and planting a light kiss on my cheek, barely reaching me. Confused at the action, I watched the girl as she let go of me, before going over to the bed. She grabbed a wooden box from the surface, one that had not been there previously, and brought it over to the table. She sat it down, before opening it up. She reached in, beginning to pull out items. First came two tea cups, both white, as well as small saucers, white, as well. She placed them on the table, one in front of each of the chairs, facing each other. With that finished, she pulled out a white tea pot, one that was already steaming hot, before placing that between the two cups. Finished, she picked the box up, before sitting it down next to the chair at her right. I watched her, bewildered, as she picked the tea pot up again, before pouring a small amount into each cup. After that, she sat the steaming container down at its original position on the table, before sitting down in the aforementioned seat. She looked to me, her eyes locked on mine.

She motioned towards the other chair, before saying, "Aren't you going to join me?"

Confused, but seeing no logical reason to refuse, I took my seat.  _Yes, no logical reason, save for the fact that none of this is fucking logical!_ When I was seated, I just stared at the girl, and she copied me.

"Now can you answer my questions?" I asked her.

"After you take a sip of your tea." She informed me. "It's rude to get straight to the point. After all, you don't even know my name yet."

Cautiously, I complied, knowing that she wouldn't talk otherwise. I picked the small cup up by the handle, before bringing it to my muzzle. I sniffed it slightly, confirming that it smelled like nothing but tea, similar to the jasmine tea that I commonly drank with Skylar at her house, due to her borderline addiction to it. Granted, it's not like I could blame her. It tasted fairly good, but I do prefer coffee. Seeing no harm in doing so, I took a sip of the warm liquid, expecting the same taste that I had grown accustomed to. Holy motherfucking Arceus, was I wrong. It tasted like dirt. Literally. And trust me on this, I've tasted dirt enough times to recognize the flavor. I managed to keep a straight face, though, and I took a small drink, before placing the cup back on the saucer. I watched in silence as the young girl did the same.

"So," I began, upon her placing her cup down, "now will you answer my questions?"

She nodded, replying, "Very well. Ask away. But, you must take a sip of the tea with each question that I answer."

"Well," I started, passing her request off as some other polite thing to do, "I'd like to start with your name."

"Namine." She informed me. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Hayden."

I nodded, before taking another sip of liquid dirt, managing to keep a straight face, once again.

Once I placed the drink down, I asked, "Alright. So, how do you know my name?"

"My father told me." She informed me. "I was told that one by the name of Hayden would come here, and I assumed that you are Hayden. Was I wrong?"

Her answer confused me, but I nodded, nonetheless. I took another drink from the cup, barely managing to hide the slight grimace that cut across my face.

I sat the cup down, before inquiring, "How did you suddenly appear in here?"

"Magic." She answered simply.

I was about to protest the obscure answer, before realizing that she would most likely give no better one. Therefore, I just took a fourth drink of tea. That one did me in. The liquid got about halfway down my throat, before I began choking on it. I dropped the cup, which hit the table, shattering and splashing the remainder of the disgusting excuse for a drink onto my lap, as I started coughing at the horrendous taste.

"Oh, do you not find my tea to your liking?" Namine asked.

I continued coughing and spluttering for a few seconds, before finally replying, "Hell no! It tastes like dirt!"

She reached down to her box, before pulling something out. She held it out, showing it to be a can of cheap beer, the same brand that my father bought.

"Maybe you would like this, then." She suggested.

I nodded, reaching for it, but I was rejected as she yanked her hand away. I watched in shock as she cocked her arm back, before flinging the can at the wall, where it made contact with the surface, exploding and showering the brown liquid down the white wall.

"What the hell was that for?" I asked her, outraged.

"I was getting rid of your failures, Hayden." She replied calmly. "You aren't that anymore. You can't be. The world won't survive if you are."

"What the hell are you even on about?" I asked, my voice rising.

"You must accept your destiny, Hayden." She replied, ignoring my question.

Growing tired of all of this, I left my chair, shouting, "Fuck this! I'm done. I'm fucking gone. If you need me, I'll be crossing Styx!"

I went to the door, charging Dark Pulses in both of my hands. I pressed my palms against the wood, before detonating the attacks. The door exploded into splinters, but before I could do anything, a red hand pressed on my face, and I felt myself falling unconscious.

* * *

I opened my eyes once more, feeling a hard surface under me.  _Where the hell am I know? Am I finally dead?_ I looked around, blinking slowly. I was in an alley, by the looks of it. The ground under me was cobblestone, and the building in front of me appeared to be stone, painted white. I put my hands on the wall that I was leaning against, to find that it was a cold stone. I looked to my right, seeing a wall of boards. The alley that I was in appeared to be populated by nothing but a few barrels, which puzzled me further. I stood up, only one thought going through my head.  _Why the hell does this seem familiar?_ I turned left, going to the end of the alley, before exiting it. I was out in a town square, made obvious by the sign post just down the short set of steps and the large fucking doors directly across from me. Behind me stood an item shop, made obvious by the glowing sign, and to my right stood a shop with a sign labeled "Weapons" above the door. Just beyond that, down the stairs, yet further on then the sign and more to the left, sat a two story café, with another set of doors, these somewhat smaller than the first, directly across from it. I went down the stairs, coming to the sign. I scanned it, seeing only districts labeled on the first three tiers, before freezing as my eyes hit the top one.  _What? No. No, that can't be possible. I'm dead, and this is some weird fucking thing happening, or… Who the fuck am I kidding, that isn't plausible whatsoever. But then how the hell do I explain this?_

"How the fuck did I end up in Traverse Town?" I vocalized.

"Doesn't matter how, Heartless scum." I heard a voice say behind me, as I felt a sharp prick on the back of my neck. "All that matters is that I'm how you're leaving."

I froze, my blood seeming to follow, as fear ran through my body.  _What?!_


	3. Chapter 3

**That's Pretty Racist, Dude**

I continued standing there, frozen.

I felt the blade poke my neck again, and the voice asked, "What, are you not even going to put up a fight? What kind of Heartless are you?"

I gulped deeply, before hesitantly replying, "Um, I'm not a Heartless. I'm an Umbreon."

"Bullshit!" The voice said, pushing the blade at me again, causing it to slightly pierce my skin. "You must be some new kind of Heartless. We've seen too many new ones as of late, so I don't doubt it."

"B-But I'm not a Heartless!" I insisted. "I promise."

 _Fuck, I've got to get out of this!_ I began scanning the area, searching for somewhere to go, should I actually be able to get away.

"Why the hell should I believe scum like you?" The voice asked.

At a loss for words, I replied, "Um… Because I'm nice?"

The person chuckled, before saying, "Not good enough, fucker."

I heard what sounded like a revolver hammer cock, and I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the inevitable attack. Just before I was forced to meet the end for the second time that night, the set of doors to our left burst open, and a small white animal rushed out, the red orb above its head flailing violently. The blade dropped, as both myself and my attacker whipped around to look at the door. Within a few seconds, two forms, both miniature suits of armour, the helmets filled with blackness, leapt out, and dashed for the small animal. The two suits of armour tackled the animal to the ground, towering over it.

Without thinking, I called out, "Hey! Leave it the fuck alone!"

The armour froze, stopping just a few inches above the animal's face. They slowly looked up at me, locking their glowing yellow eyes, the only lights in the blackness, with mine. They both reared their heads back, before letting out an ear piercing screech. My hands shot to my ears, flattening them to my head immediately.  _And that's a downside to being an Umbreon. My only solace is that I'm not an Espeon._ They lowered their heads, but I still heard the sound reverberating throughout the town square. As their heads dropped back down, they shot towards me, dashing hunched over, their claws scraping the ground behind them. I brought my arms down, trying to cover my face from the impending attack. Just before the armour hit me, a large throwing star, seemingly made of four large kunai put together, came from the left, chopping the first one in half, causing it to disappear into smoke. The other one stopped short, just long enough for it to be obliterated by another star, leaving another shortly lived cloud of smoke in its wake.

"Holy shit, Squall," a female voice said, "you can't even take a couple of Soldiers. How did you help save the world twice now?"

The person who threatened me, Squall, I presume, sighed, before retorting, "Not the time, Yuffie." He swung his sword up, aiming it at my throat, causing me to fling my hands up in defense, as he added, "Besides, I've got another Heartless to deal with."

I spun around, to where I was facing the pair. As I felt the blade poke me, I scanned over the guy, recognizing his outfit. His torso was clad in a black jacket, topped with some white fluff, and a white tank top under it. I noticed that his left arm, the one that was currently not holding an odd revolver/sword combination to my throat, had three leather bands wrapped around it, similar to bracelets, but going up his forearm. His jeans were simple, a standard black, with three different belts holding them up, and he wore standard black boots. My eyes flicked over to the woman, Yuffie, if I had to guess, as she sauntered over to us, swaying her hips with each step. She was scantily clad, no doubt about it. She wore a skin tight black vest, zipped up, which accentuated her rather small bust, and a pair of black short shorts, ending nowhere near her knees. Her beige boots, on the other hand, came up to just a few inches below her knees, with her black socks covering the rest of the distance. As she grabbed her weapons from where they had stabbed into the ground, I noticed that she had a black wrapping, almost like a cast, going down her left forearm, ending on her wrist, with a white bracelet on her right wrist. She came up to me, the black ribbons in her hair fluttering lightly in the slight breeze. She stood on her toes, seeming to examine me. She began circling me, observing me, making me somewhat uncomfortable. She eventually came to a stop, pushing Squall's sword out of the way, staring me in the eyes.

She chuckled, before saying, "He's not a Heartless, silly. Just very furry."

I deadpanned, as Squall scoffed.

"What makes you think that he's not some new kind of Heartless?" He asked.

"Well," Yuffie began, "for one, his eyes aren't yellow, just his rings. Then he also stopped poor Moogle from getting turned into a Heartless. And he has yet to attack us."

"Are you kidding me?" Squall retorted, sounding outraged. "Look at the color of his skin!"

Finally finding my voice, I pointed out, "That's pretty racist, dude."

"And he talks." Yuffie added. "Can't forget that he talks." Squall sighed, as Yuffie asked me, "So, what's your name, kid?"

"Hayden." I replied. "And, for the record, I'm an Umbreon. Not a Heartless."

"An Umbreon, huh?" She asked. "So, what's that? Some cat thingy?"

"Um, I'm more of a fox, really." I replied. "Y'know, less feline, more vulpine."

"Meh, same thing to me." She told me, causing me to deadpan. "So, are you just really fluffy, or can you do other stuff, as well? I know that some of our friends met this cat that could teleport."

"No teleporting, sorry." I replied. "But, I can do some other stuff."

"Like what?" She inquired.

"Well, like shoot shit from my hands." I informed her. "And I can cause things to explode with my hands. And lift things with my mind. Not too effectively, but I'm better than most Umbreon. Nowhere near an Espeon, though."

"Really?" She asked. I nodded, and she added, "Could we see some?"

"Um, alright." I said, nervously. "I don't see why not. You should probably back up, though."

Yuffie nodded, before backing up to stand next to Squall, who just scoffed. I backed up some, before taking a calming breath. I charged a Shadow Ball in each of my hands, before sending them flying into the air. I looked at Squall and Yuffie, to see an amused look on Yuffie's face, and an annoyed one on Squall.  _How about I step this up, then?_

"Hey, Yuffie." I said. "Throw a star at me."

"You sure?" She asked, as an interested look appeared on Squall's face. "These things can hurt like hell."

"I'm sure." I told here. "Just act like you're going to attack me."

She shrugged, before complying. She cocked her arm back, before flinging one of her stars towards me. Concentrating on the blade, I focused my Psychic on it. Just before it hit me, it stopped midair, a purple aura surrounding it. I looked past the weapon to see that both of them had surprised looks on their faces, but Squall quickly wiped his off. I grabbed the star out of the air, and chucked it back to Yuffie, who caught it with ease.

I chuckled, and asked, "What, Squall, you still not impressed?"

"Why would I be impressed by a bunch of shit that I've seen multiple times?" He retorted. He suddenly swung his sword up, aiming it at my throat, before growling out, "And never call me Squall again, got it? It's Leon."

"Um, alright." I replied, somewhat confused, but sure as hell not questioning it. "Hadn't meant to offend."

"Calm down, Leon." Yuffie told him. "The kid didn't know."

Leon just growled, glaring at me, before slinging his weapon to his side, before stalking off towards a shop, mumbling something about a man named Cid.

As he entered a building, I sighed, my ears drooping.

"It's not your fault, kid." Yuffie reassured me. "He's hard on everyone, especially recently. I mean, this is the third time in the past few years that we've had to take on the Heartless. He's pretty stressed out, especially since Sora, Mickey, and Riku all disappeared."

At this, my ears perked up, and I asked, "They disappeared?"

She nodded, replying, "Yep. No one has seen them for about a year, now. We've had a few worlds blink out, so we're trying to stop it. But, well, without a Keyblade wielder to help, we've not been able to lock worlds. Some of the others are off defending the hearts of some of the other worlds, but that isn't enough. If we don't lock them, then they stay at risk."

"Damn." I commented. "I'm sorry."

She just shrugged, replying, "It sucks. We're doing all we can, but we fear that it's not enough. Every day, another world or two blinks out. Sooner or later, even we'll be gone. It's just become a fact of life. Almost everyone has lost the will to fight. It's just pointless now. We can't survive, only hold out."

As she finished her sentence, I looked over, seeing a few tears begin to trail down her face.  _Damn. I wish that I could help. But, hell, I've never even fought anything before, let alone a Heartless. Speaking of which, still have no fucking idea how I got here. Oh well._ I was broken from my thoughts by the doors that Leon had left through bursting open, and the aforementioned man running out.

"Yuffie, strong Heartless in District Three." He shouted, rushing over to us. "Donald and Goofy can't take him alone."

Yuffie quickly wiped her face, hiding her tears, before nodding and replying, "Right. Let's go."

They took off running to the doors that Moogle, who had since disappeared to Arceus knows where, had come from. Just before they reached the doors, however, they slammed shut, and a large stylistic heart, the same one that I had seen on the cover of the books that Skylar had given me, appeared over the lock.  _So, I assume that that is a significant symbol here. I should remember that._ The duo stopped short, almost running into the doors.

"Damn it!" Leon yelled. "Why does this keep happening?"

Yuffie was about to reply, when ten or so dark portals opened up around us. I watched, awestruck, as forms stepped out of the portals. When all ten of the creatures were out, the portals disappeared into thin air. I scanned the creatures, who were obviously Heartless, by their completely black bodies and piercing yellow eyes. They were four legged canine forms, with large curling horns sprouting from their heads, horns so large that they truthfully should have caused the animals to be far too front heavy to stand, let alone walk or fight. They were about knee height, possibly large, and they had long, fat tails, ending in an arrowhead shape, with the body of the tail covered in spikes sticking out from all sides. Their backbone was extremely prominent, and glowing a bright yellow, the same shade as their eyes, with spike arching down it. They had dangerously long claws, at least six inches each, and their teeth looked to be razor sharp, their mouths agape and leaking purple drool.

"Seriously?" Leon shouted. "More Darkslash?"

"Darkslash?" I asked. "Who named them that? It sounds like a fucking attack."

"That'd be me." Yuffie replied. "And you'll see soon enough why I called them that."

"Um, okay." I said, confused.

"Hayden, watch out!" Yuffie warned me, staring past me.

I spun around, to see a Darkslash dashing towards me. It leapt at me, teeth bared. It slashed its front paws out, slashing towards me, but I managed to duck in time, avoiding the attack. As it flew over me, I felt myself being drained. Drained of my energy, of my heat, even of my happiness. I felt myself becoming weaker, becoming colder. My mind began going blank, filled with nothing but dark thoughts and self loathing. I was about to collapse, when I felt myself getting tackled to the ground. As I landed on my back, I looked up, to see that Yuffie was lying on top of me. As she rolled off of me, I felt myself returning to normal, and I could tell that I was shaking.

"What the fuck was that?" I asked her, panting lightly.

"Their attack." She replied, panting as well. "That's why they're Darkslashes. Even if you don't get hit, they hurt you if you're close. They drain you, emotionally and physically."

"Damn." I commented. "Thanks."

"No problem." She replied, standing up. She reached down to help me up, and I accepted her hand, as she said, "Just keep that in mind in the future. If you can't kill them quick, then get the fuck away."

"You two, stop the chatter." Leon called to us. "Yuffie, help me drop these fuckers. Kid, go sit in a corner, or something."

Insulted, I replied, "I can fight too, y'know! Don't underestimate me just because I don't have a weapon!"

"I'm not underestimating you!" He shouted back, defending himself from an attacking Darkslash. "I'm being realistic. Now, either get out of the way, or you'll be treated as a threat to the mission."

I was about to reply, when Yuffie pushed me out of the way, as I felt a Darkslash fly between us.

"Maybe he's right, Hayden." She told me. "Just get out of here. We'll take care of them."

"But I can help." I protested. "Just let me prove it."

Leon whipped around from the Darkslash that he had just knocked back, pointing his sword at me, glaring, and growled out, "Get the fuck away, or I will kill you."

I was about to continue arguing, when I caught the look in Yuffie's eye, telling me that he was right. Sighing, I conceded, and leapt out of the ring of Heartless, who, oddly enough, seemed to not give a fuck. Fuming, I stalked over to the café, where I sat down at the bar, watching the fight. I watched in angered silence as the fight continued, but I barely paid attention, too lost in thought.  _What the fuck gives them the right to just wave me off like that? I can fight, I fucking so! Just because I haven't done it before, doesn't meant that I can't. I believe that I can help them; if Leon would just stop being so fucking thick headed and open his fucking mind to the assistance of a kid._ I let out a small sigh.  _Maybe that's his issue. Just a dick measuring contest, and he doesn't want to lose to a kid. You never know, he may just be like that._ Without me noticing it, the fight had ended, and the doors had opened again. I came back to the present, just as Yuffie and Leon disappeared through the doors.

I sighed, before complaining, "They can't wait up for me, can they?"

I leapt up from the stool, before taking off across the eerily empty clearing.  _Why do the Heartless have to disappear when they die? Personally, I'd prefer if this place had a few bodies in it, rather than nothing. Way too fucking creepy. I feel like I'm going to be attacked at any moment._ I ran through the doors, only to open up in a very short alley. I went to the end of it, before stopping short. I was let out into an area only slightly smaller than the town square, with a set of stairs going up to a higher level in directly to my left, and I saw that the second level led around a corner to another set of doors. What made me stop, though, was the thing in the clearing. Right in the center, locked in a fight with Yuffie, Leon, and what appeared to be a white duck in mage's garb and a rather tall dog in knight armour, only wielding a shield, oddly enough, was a giant Heartless, at least fifty feet tall. What kind of Heartless stood before me? A Charizard. With Blastoise cannons about his wings. And a Venusaur bulb between them. And it was currently shooting black fire at the group.  _Fuck._  I watched with bated breath as the duck aimed his staff at Leon, coating him in some form of swirling opaque shell, just as the fire hit the swordsman. My fear of his demise was cut short, as the flames cleared and he shot out of them, slicing at the Charizard's feet. The attack caused black blood to spurt from its ankles, but little else. It appeared to have no affect on it.

"Shit!" Leon shouted, just before the draconic Heartless's large foot hit him directly, sending him skidding across the ground, before coming to a rest near my feet.

"Leon!" I shouted, hearing it echoed by four more voices.

 _Wait, four?_ I scanned the area, rather quickly noticing a woman in a pink dress, with a pink bow on the back of her head, standing on the upper level, a concerned look on her face. At the shout, Leon's eyes opened, before locking on me.

As he got up, he shouted at me, "Kid, I told you to stay the fuck back!"

"I can help!" I defended. "I know that I can."

"Damn it!" He yelled back. "This isn't a debate, Hayden! Now go back and wait at the Item Shop!"

"No." I replied, adamantly. "I'm staying. I can help."

Leon was about to reply, when Yuffie interjected, quickly saying, "Alright, you can stay." Leon looked at her, shocked, before she added, "But you have to wait up there with Aerith. We can't have you down here in the fight."

Knowing that that was the best that it'd get, I sighed, agreeing, "Fine. I'll be up there."

I stalked past them, heading for the stairs, as I heard the duck get set on fire, signaled by the cacophony of panicked quacking that filled the clearing. I sighed in annoyance as I ascended the stairs, before going to stand next to Aerith, whom I assume to be the girl in pink.

She seemed shocked by my approach, before greeting me, "Hello, Hayden."

Now it was my turn to be shocked, as I stutteringly replied, "H-How do you know my name?"

"I guessed." She replied. "Well, somewhat."

"What do you mean, somewhat?" I asked, intrigued.

"Well, I had a young girl come to me in a dream a few nights ago." She began. "She told me that a strange person, one like I had never seen before, would appear here. She told me that that stranger would be highly important in our war, and to trust him at all costs. So, I saw you, and assumed that you are that stranger."

"You mean that Namine came to you?" I asked, shocked. "And told you about me?"

"She gave no name, but that name does seem to fit her." Aerith replied. "And somewhat, yes."

"Did she say anything else?" I urged her.

"No." Was the reply. "After that, I woke up."

I was about to reply, when my attention was brought back to the fight. I watched, horrorstruck, as Leon and Yuffie were knocked off of their feet, sent flying to the pile that was their already downed allies. As the Heartless stomped over to them, Leon tried to stand up, but continued failing. I began bouncing on my feet, wanting to help.

"Go." Aerith spoke, bringing me back to her.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"It's obvious that you want to help, and there is no way to see how important you shall be until you do." She replied. "So, go."

I stood there, somewhat shocked, before snapping out of my stunned state and nodding in reply. I backed up some, steeling myself.  _You can do this, Hayden. Lives depend on it._ I took a deep breath, before running forward. Just before I hit the railing of the platform, I planted a foot on it, before leaping off, flying for the Heartless.

"Hey, fucker!" I yelled, drawing its attention.

It whipped its large head towards me, just in time for me to coat my right fist in an Iron Claw, before digging it into its yellow eye. It shouted in pain, as a burst of black blood spurted out, coating me in the thick, cold liquid. The Charizard's arms shot up to smack me away, but they ended up only scratching its face. It then shot out some vines from its back, which grabbed me and sent me flying from the giant lizards face. I felt myself flying through the air, to land with a crash on the ground, making a small crater with my back. I laid there, trying to resist unconsciousness, as I coughed up a few specks of blood, which landed back on my face. I heard what sounded like my name being groaned out, and I glanced to my right, to see that Yuffie was looking at me.

"Run, Hayden." She whispered, coughing up a small amount of her own blood. "You can't win this."

I coughed up some more blood, before replying, "I can. I know so."

She let out a sigh, before her head dropped to the ground, unconscious. Scanning her allies, I saw that only Leon remained conscious, and he was trying to awaken the duck.

"C'mon, Donald." He urged. "You can help wake the others up, just get up."

Switching my attention back to the Heartless, I staggered up, a few droplets of blood falling onto my jeans from my mouth. The large dragon continued stomping towards us, and I quickly took a battle stance. I leapt at the Heartless, Iron Claws coating my hands, only to be smacked away with ease. I sailed through the air, the wind whipping around me, until I crashed into a wall, going straight through it. I flew through the bricks, my back hurting like hell, before crashing into another wall, this one stopping me. I coughed up some more blood, as my vision started to fade, and I felt myself getting light headed. I heard a roar from outside, and my eyes snapped shut, as my hands shot to my ears, trying to block out the sound. When I reopened my eyes, however, I saw Namine standing in front of me, her arms behind her back.

"N-Namine?" I asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to unlock your power to help." She told me. "To fight. And to win."

Her response only confused me more, as did her bending down to me. She placed her hand on my chest, right on my heart, and her entire body began to glow white. As she did this, I felt my wounds healing, and my light headedness and headache go away. When she finally pulled away, her glow slowly fading, she stood there, just watching me.

I slowly picked myself up, realizing that I was no longer hurt, and asked, "So, what now?"

"Now, Hayden." She replied. "Now, you fight."

As she finished her sentence, she disappeared into nothingness.

"Wait?" I called out. "I don't know what I'm doing!"

Just as I said that, a black and purple swirling aura appeared in my hand, stretching out a few feet. When it disappeared, I was shocked to see what was in my hand. I was holding a large black key, one that appeared to be made of obsidian, with what appeared to be a silver hand guard in a rectangle shape around my hand. At the back of the guard hung a keychain, one in the shape of an Umbreon head, the left half a pure white, seemingly made of ivory or quarts, and the right half a solid black, most likely composed of obsidian, just like the blade.  _A-A Keyblade? I have a Keyblade?_ I was brought from my thoughts by the sound of screaming and roaring from outside.

* * *

** P.O.V Change: Aerith **

I watched in horror as the large draconic Heartless loomed over Leon and our allies. My arrogant friend struggled to hold his blade up as a threat, but that didn't stop him. I saw that the Heartless was about to attack, but it suddenly froze. Confused, I began looking around, trying to find the source of its hesitation, only to realize that it hadn't seen a thing. It had heard something. Music.

* * *

**P.O.V Change: Hayden**

I slid my phone into my jacket pocket, the speaker still poking out some, as  _This Will Be The Day_ by Jeff and Casey Lee Williams began playing. I took off running to the large hole in the attic wall that I had flwn through, before leaping out of it. As I emerged, the Charizard's head whipped to face me, its right eye swollen shut from my previous attack. The Heartless shot vines at me, but I quickly swung out with the Keyblade, cutting them in half, leaving the connected ends flailing, spurting black blood.

"Nice try, Startup!" I taunted, giving it the first name that came to mind.

 _Meh, it works. A combination of the final forms of the three most common starters, back when Pokemon journeys were more common._ Startup let out a loud roar of pain, and I heard a few gasps of shock from Aerith and Leon. Keeping my attention on Startup, I stuck out Nightblade, another on-the-spot name, this one for my Keyblade. The weapon jabbed into the large Heartless's other eye, effectively blinding it, as I was coated in black blood once again. It let out a roar of pain, and sent vines after me. This time, however, I was prepared, and I dodged them with ease, removing my blade from Startup's eye and flipping on top of its head. The vines assaulted its own face, leaving scratches on its muzzle. The Heartless let out another roar, before I felt a rumbling coming from its back.  _What the? Shit. I'm on one of the cannons aren't I?_ My question was quickly answered by a burst of water to my body, sending my flying. I managed to catch myself in midair, righting myself enough to land on a nearby rooftop, sliding slightly. Without waiting for another attack, I took off running to the edge of the roof, before using a Pulse Jump to fly at Startup. The blind Heartless swung randomly at me, clipping me with its wing. The force sent me flying slightly, but not before I stabbed Nightblade into the wing. More blood came out, followed by a loud roar, as the wing swung back to behind its back. As it came to a rest, I began to slide down the wing, slicing through the leather-like surface. Thinking quickly, I started using Dark Pulses to speed up my descent, and the pained roaring only got louder. I eventually reached its head, where I leapt off. Already having a plan in mind, I stabbed Nightblade into Startup's neck, right where it meets the head, before repeating the action that I had performed on the wing, this time going down its back, gashing it open. The large Heartless let out a continuous roar of pain as I made my descent, before I finally leapt of at the base of its tail, but not before chopping the tail in half. Startup let out one final roar of pain, before dropping to the ground, shaking the earth. Panting lightly, I walked up to its head, as it struggled to stand up. When I came to its swollen eyes, I started into them, preparing to finish the job.

"You were a worthy opponent, Startup." I told the Heartless. "And with your defeat comes the safety, even if only temporary, of this world. Goodbye, my enemy."

Startup went still, the only other movement appearing to be a small nod. Gripping Nightlblade in both hands, I held the Keyblade above my head, aimed downward, before stabbing into its temple. The large dragon didn't fight the end, as more black blood oozed from the wound. I watched as the body slowly faded away into black mist, starting with the severed tail, and moving up the body. As Startup disappeared and the song ended, I gazed up to the sky. My eyes scanned the night, before locking onto one specific star that appeared to be bright than the others. As I watched this light, it flickered a few times, before going out.  _And there went another world._

* * *

**P.O.V Change: Skylar**

_The stars look wonderful tonight. I bet that Hayden would love to see them._ I let out a deep sigh.

"Oh, Hayden." I said to the night sky. "Where are you? I miss you. It's been a week now. Please come back."

I felt a few tears fall from my eyes.

"The cops arrested your father, Hayden. He can't hurt you anymore." I continued.

My words came without answer, as I knew they would.

I felt my tears finally begin to fall freely, as I said, "I never even got to tell you that I love you, Hayden. I had planned on it the day after you disappeared. I finally built up the courage."

My gaze went back up to the night sky, my fur slowly gaining tear streaks.  _Oh, Hayden. I miss you so much._ As I watched, I saw a star begin to act oddly. It grew exceptionally bright, just before flickering a few times, and going out.  _What the hell?_


	4. We Won't Lose

** We Won't Lose **

I struggled through the red door, barely managing to keep Leon and Yuffie on my shoulders. As soon as I entered the completely red room, I dropped the two unconscious fighters onto the matching bed, causing it to bounce slightly from their weight. They were quickly joined by Donald and Goofie, who were carried by a man about my height. His name is Cid, from what I can gather, and he’s clad in a white shirt, blue pants, and a large tan belt around his waist. He situated the goggles on his head, before pulling a cigarette from his pocket, as Aerith closed the door, joining us.

“Well, that was one hell of a fight, I see.” Cid commented, popping the stick of tobacco into his mouth, before lighting it.

“Indeed it was.” Aerith agreed, nodding.

Cid turned to me, telling me, “Nice job with savin ‘em, kid.”

I nodded, replying, “No problem. Just glad that I could help for once in my life.”

Aerith motioned to the Keyblade hanging from my belt, informing me, “With that in your hands, you’ll be far more useful than just that fight.”

“Speaking of which,” Cid added, going to lean on the round dining table in the corner, “why don’t you tell us where you’re from, kid?”

“It’s sort of a long story.” I told him. “And, please, call me Hayden. I despise being called kid.”

“Very well, Hayden.” The man returned. “And don’t worry, we’ve got time.” He waved towards his unconscious friends, adding, “They won’t be up for a while.”

I nodded, sighing quietly, as I replied, “Alright then. I guess that I’ll tell you.”

I quickly organized my thoughts, as Aerith sat down on the bed, before beginning.

* * *

 

I leaned against the wall as I finished my story, both Cid and Aerith watching me.

“So, you do come from another world.” Aerith confirmed.

I nodded, replying, “Yes, I do.”

“And what was that you said about us?” Cid asked me. “About our fights?”

“Well, in my world, all of this stuff is actually a game and manga series.” I explained. “Just something used for entertainment.”

“What the hell is up with that?” The man requested angrily. “We’re not even fucking real to you guys?”

I shook my head, telling him, “Nope. None of this stuff is.” I paused a moment, before adding, “Well, save for Startup, sorta.”

“That name.” Aerith said. “Where did you get it? We’ve never encountered a Heartless like that one before.”

“Well, it just came to me.” I replied. “Y’see, in my world, creatures like myself, like Pokemorphs, exist. They are called Pokemon, and they’re essentially what we come from. These little things can evolve, most of the time, to become better at fighting. This also changes their appearance. Hundreds of years ago, when Pokemorphs weren’t as common as they are now, humans would go on adventures with these Pokemon, capturing and training them to help win battles in Gyms for badges. This practice began in the region of Kanto. Each trainer is allowed to choose on starter Pokemon out of three. In the Kanto region, there is Charmander, a fire lizard; Bulbasaur, a four legged animal with a plant bulb on its back; and Squirtle, a turtle. The final evolve forms of these starters are a large dragon, a larger animal with an open bulb on its back, and a giant turtle with cannons, respectively. Startup was a giant dragon, with two large cannons, and a bulb on its back.”

“So, that one comes from your world?” Aerith commented. “Odd.”

“How did it get here?” Cid asked no one in particular. “I mean, the guys have faced Heartless from other places, but only in those places.”

“Merlin may know.” Aerith suggested.

“I hadn’t thought of him.” The man said, nodding. He left the table, saying, “I’ll go see him now.”

As soon as he grabbed the doorknob, Aerith told him, “No. Not tonight.” We both turned to face her, and she added, “We’ve already been out enough tonight. We’ll wait until morning, when the Heartless are gone.”

Cid looked as if he was still going to go, but after seeing the pleading in Aerith’s eyes, he complied with the girl’s wishes, sighing as he returned to the table.

“They don’t go out in the day?” I asked them.

“Not here.” Cid told me. “Other places, they don’t care about the time of day.”

“Not necessarily.” Aerith commented. “They don’t go out in the day in Halloweentown or Christmas Town.”

Cid nodded in agreement, but said nothing. Odd. I hadn’t thought that they would do that. Granted, in the manga, it stayed night here, so there is that.

I was broken from my thought by Aerith, who asked, “Hayden?”

I started slightly, looking at her, replying, “Yes?”

“How did you get here?” She asked me. “You never specified that. You just said that you found yourself lying in the center of town.”

I froze, my mind racing, replaying what had happened. What the hell do I tell them? I can’t say that I fucking commited suicide!

I quickly thought of a reply, stuttering out, “I-I’m not quite sure, really. I just woke up here somehow.”

Aerith and Cid nodded to me, but I could tell that they weren’t convinced. Please just let it slide. Please just let it slide.

Thankfully, they left it at that, as Aerith stood up, saying, “Very well. Hayden, I assume that you’re tired?”

“Er, I guess so.” I told her, not wanting to be rude, despite the fact that I really didn’t need sleep at the moment.

She nodded, commanding me, “Follow me. I’ll take you to an empty room.”

I nodded back, joining her as we went through a door across from one leading outside. We stepped out into a hall, and she led me down to the right. We went past a green door, but she seemed to not care about it, instead taking me to one of the other doors, brown like most of them, further down the hall. She opened the door, revealing a standard room, complete with a bed, dresser, and desk.

“This can be your room while we’re here.” She told me. “When you wake up, come down to the Red Room again. I tend to wake early, so I should be up by then.”

I nodded to her, as I stepped into the dark room.

“Goodnight, Hayden.” She told me.

“Yeah.” I replied. “Night, Aerith.”

With that, she left me, her footsteps retreating back down the hall. I went over to the bed, before removing Nightblade from my belt, and leaning it against the wall next to the bed. I let out a sigh, flopping onto my bed, suddenly becoming very tired. So, to recap, I killed myself, then woke up in Traverse Town. After that, Leon tried to kill me, before Yuffie saved me. I then became the Keyblade Wielder, and killed Startup to save my new allies. I let out another sigh.

“What the fuck is even happening anymore?” I asked the darkness of the room.

I let out another sigh, before falling asleep in minutes.

* * *

 

I slowly blinked myself awaking, my eyes focused on the ceiling above me. I froze, confused, before quickly remembering the events of last night. I sighed quietly, swinging my feet off of the bed. I reached over to grab Nightblade, freezing in shock upon grasping nothing. I frantically looked over to where I left the Keyblade, finding the space void of my weapon. What the hell? I dropped to the floor, looking under the bed, only to find no sign of the blade. No! Where is it? I leapt up and dashed to the dresser, tearing the doors open. I felt my ears droop at the emptiness within, almost slumping to my knees. As I felt my heart drop, a thought suddenly popped into my head. Wait! I can try to summon it! My ears sprang back up, and I quickly tried to focus my mind on holding Nightblade. I was surprised when the weapon appeared in my hand in a matter of seconds. I let out a sigh of relief as I looked at the Keyblade, before attaching it to my belt again. Now, to go see if Aerith is awake. I left my room, yawning quietly as I entered the hall. As I went to the Red Room, I pulled my phone from my pocket to check the time. Arceus, only seven thirty? Normally sleep later when I don’t have school. I reached the red door, before knocking.

“You can come in.”Came the voice of Aerith.

I opened the door, stepping into the room occupied by only Aerith.

“Good morning, Hayden.” She greeted me, from her seat on the bed.

“Morning, Aerith.” I greeted her, waving slightly.

“Want to go and grab some breakfast for the group?” She asked me, rising from the bed. “We can go to the cafe in the center of town.”

“Uh, sure, I guess.” I replied, rather shocked. “Are you just going to act like last night didn’t really happen, or something?”

She sighed, turning to me and saying, “Hayden, this is how we deal with things like that here. Heartless attack this town every night. Not normally to that extent, but it’s a daily thing. The citizens have just learned to accept it. The people of this town hide at night, while we go out and keep the world from dying. If we act like it’s the end of the world every time we get attacked, then we can never accomplish anything.”

I nodded solemnly, contemplating this statement.

“I’m sorry.” I told her. “You guys shouldn’t have to go through that.”

She stepped out of the door without responding, and I followed her out into the streets.

As we started through the town, she answered, “I’ve grown used to it. It’s the people of Traverse Town that shouldn’t have to put up with this. But, that’s where you come in.” I looked at her, confused, so she continued, “You’re the Keyblade Wielder. Therefore, it’s your duty to save all of the worlds from the Heartless.”

I sighed, telling her, “Yeah, I guess that I know that. But, in all honesty, I don’t know if I can do that. I’m still sorta running off of the high of just being here, so I’ve managed to keep my shoulders from drooping from the weight of the world.”

She chuckled at my joke, and told me, “Well, don’t worry about doing this alone. You have all of us behind you, and we’ll help you fight this. We’re your friends and allies now, Hayden.”

I was shocked by these words at first, before a small smile creeped across my face at her words.

“Thank you, Aerith.” I told her. “I promise you, I’ll win this fight for us. We won’t lose.”

 

 


End file.
